Games of the Blackjack-type are well known in the art. In these games the cards have established numerical values, such as ace equals one or eleven, face cards equal ten, and other cards equal to their face values (e.g. a two has a numerical value of two, a three has a numerical value of three, etc.). A player tries to reach an established target numerical total by sequentially accumulating cards and summing their numerical values. Two cards are initially dealt, and the player then has the option of either (1) "standing" with the two cards, or (2) requesting and being dealt one or more additional cards ("hits").
The most common form of these games is the game of "Blackjack" or "21" wherein the established target numerical total is 21. A player wins a wager if the numerical total of the player's cards is less than or equal to 21 and is closer to 21 than the numerical total of the dealer's cards. If the numerical total of the player's or dealer's cards exceed 21, the respective hand is a "bust", and loses to any hand having a numerical total of 21 or less.
In certain states, such as California, Blackjack is illegal. Therefore, other similar Blackjack-type games have been devised. One such game is "California Blackjack" (U.S. Pat. No. 5,275,415) wherein the established target numerical total is 22. A player tries to get closer to 22 than the dealer (usually a "player banker"). If the player's numerical total exceeds 22 the hand is not a bust. Other established target numerical totals are of course also possible. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,300 the target numerical sum is 20. In fact, any target numerical sum that is consistent with the established numerical values of the cards may be used.